help with quiting oxycodone cold turkey

Hi everyone. i have been using oxycodone heavily for about a year now. i was using the drug recreationaly for a few years before that, just for a good high now and then. slowly i started going from recreational, to full blown addiction. fortunatly i never got to the point of injecting the drug, i just would snort the drug. I've gotten up to a tolerance of 120mg a day to get that same high i go from 10mg when i started using recreationaly. i have recently started turning my life around, i have a new job, i am taking college classes after a few years of slacking of after high school, everything is going great, except for one major problem, my battle with oxycodone. i am curently on my 3rd day of being drug free, but im hainvg allot of problems with withdrawls. i refuse to go to an in-patient program because i just got my new job and dont wanna lose it or get kicked out of school. i also refuse to go on suboxen or methadone because i know people who have and they ended up either relapsing or developing a problem with the replacement drug. i also curently have no insurance so im not attending any out patient programs. people have recomended weening off, but i failed with my recent attempt at that. everyone i talk to tells me i cant do this without professional help, but I AM DETERMINED TO BEAT THIS!! I have been told a few tricks to help lessen withdrawls, such as taking multi vitamins and drinking tea/coffee. does anyone have any other, hopefully more helpful suggestions to quit cold turkey?

Thanks a lot for the support and advice . I am determined to do this and luckily your right that 120mg isnt a super high dose and it could be much worse. I have been reading a few other posts on this site and i see others with opiat problems talking about using xanax or other benzodiazapams. i originaly decided they wouldn't be a good idea, but after seeing so many talking about using them to help, im wondering if i should look into them?

also about the stimulants thing, unfortunatly the only other drugs i have problems with are caffieine and nicotein, both of which are stimulants. I do have plans to quit using nicotein products and cut down my caffeine, but wouldn't it be a bad idea to experience withdrawls from multiple substances?

also i will check out that article rite now and get back to you.

Last edited by ItalianStallion04092; 06-08-2010 at 09:10 PM.
Reason: added a coment

Thanks a lot for the support and advice . I am determined to do this and luckily your right that 120mg isnt a super high dose and it could be much worse. I have been reading a few other posts on this site and i see others with opiat problems talking about using xanax or other benzodiazapams. i originaly decided they wouldn't be a good idea, but after seeing so many talking about using them to help, im wondering if i should look into them?

also about the stimulants thing, unfortunatly the only other drugs i have problems with are caffieine and nicotein, both of which are stimulants. I do have plans to quit using nicotein products and cut down my caffeine, but wouldn't it be a bad idea to experience withdrawls from multiple substances?

also i will check out that article rite now and get back to you.

You are absolutely right! DO NOT attempt a multiple drug withdrawal. It will make you feel 100X worse, if you like your coffee and cigarettes, keep on doing that. You can quit those next year. No problem. Don't worry about it.

Next: to make a strong statement: STAY AWAY FROM THE BENZOS! Especially Xanax! It is notoriously addictive and that is the last thing you need right now.
It is a short acting benzodiazepine and will give you "inter-dose" withdrawal or w/d's in between doses, so that is NOT a good option.

If you want to go full-on, heavy-duty, cold-turkey....just bite the bullet and do it. Because you're 3 days into it, in a less than a week (just 168 tiny, little hours) you will begin to feel MUCH better. Think forward...how many weeks in your lifetime? Thousands? You just have to maintain focus for ONE of those weeks. The greatest complication of withdrawal is relapse. You will be uncomfortable, but you are SAFE. You will not die from oxy w/d.

You may experience nausea and diarrhea, eat small, healthy, low fat, high protein meals. Take a multivitamin WITHOUT iron, twice a day. Drink lots of nice cold water. Take Immodium for diarrhea when needed and Pepto-Bismol for nausea.

We are going to get through this. Continue to read online about oxycodone withdrawal and what to expect. Do this especially if you cannot sleep. Keep THIS in mind, too. It doesn't matter, ultimately, whether you sleep in the next week. That is harmless, too.

I almost forgot. There is a prescription muscle relaxer that could be added to that "sleep cocktail" I outlined in the previous post.

It is COMPLETELY non-habit forming and could prove VERY useful in your recovery.

It's name is Robaxin (methocarbamol.)

I use it all the time. It has a very mild sedative effect AND does not carry any abuse potential. It is NOT a controlled substance. Try 1500mg 40 minutes before bedtime with the others. If you can't get it, don't worry about it.

Thanks a lot for the support and advice . I am determined to do this and luckily your right that 120mg isnt a super high dose and it could be much worse. I have been reading a few other posts on this site and i see others with opiat problems talking about using xanax or other benzodiazapams. i originaly decided they wouldn't be a good idea, but after seeing so many talking about using them to help, im wondering if i should look into them?

also about the stimulants thing, unfortunatly the only other drugs i have problems with are caffieine and nicotein, both of which are stimulants. I do have plans to quit using nicotein products and cut down my caffeine, but wouldn't it be a bad idea to experience withdrawls from multiple substances?

also i will check out that article rite now and get back to you.

Dear Italian,

I commend you for acknowledging you have an addiction problem and taking the steps to overcome it. I have experienced opiate withdrawal (several times!), and I do know how unpleasant it can be. One thing that helps is the reminder to yourself that you NEVER have to go through this ever again. Keep away from that ONE FIRST PILL, and you'll never have to repeat what you're doing right now.

I see that Peter has his own recommendations he's given you, which I have yet to see anywhere else in my years of working with addicts. (I know you have not experienced opiate withdrawal yourself, Peter - where did the ideas of Robaxin -and other suggestions - come from???) The widespread "Thomas Recipe" has helped opiate addicts for years with "cold turkey" withdrawal. Here is a link to the Thomas Recipe on our forum: http://www.drugs.com/forum/featured-...wal-35169.html

Today, however, marks day #4 for you, and that is often the turning point of the worst of the withdrawal. You should be seeing improvement very soon.

As far as benzos, I can not stress strongly enough to stay away from them. Yes, some folks rely on them for detoxing. But benzos are even more addictive than the opiates; even following the exact instructions for dosing, our bodies quickly become dependent on them. You don't need to add this to your problems. You've gotten past the first 4 days without it, and the rest of it should be less anxiety, not more.

After you get past this week of the physical detox, the biggest danger is relapse. Once we become used to turning to the pills as a crutch to get through difficult feelings or situations, our healthy coping skills are severely compromised. So what remains is emotional and psychological recovery - and those things can not be overlooked, else we run a bigger risk of relapse. If possible, please try to find a support group, perhaps NA or AA (same disease, just different chemical), a church group or pastor, or a counselor. You need to establish a better foundation in recovery than simply removing the drugs from your body. This is a complex disease, and it takes time, action and effort to experience long term recovery from it.

God bless - keep posting - that will help you. It also helps others who read along and haven't yet found the courage to post.

I almost forgot. There is a prescription muscle relaxer that could be added to that "sleep cocktail" I outlined in the previous post.

It is COMPLETELY non-habit forming and could prove VERY useful in your recovery.

It's name is Robaxin (methocarbamol.)

I use it all the time. It has a very mild sedative effect AND does not carry any abuse potential. It is NOT a controlled substance. Try 1500mg 40 minutes before bedtime with the others. If you can't get it, don't worry about it.

Peter, Just did a bit of research on this idea of yours, and found a few disturbing facts that should be considered. Robaxin is a prescription muscle relaxer, and works as a central nervous system depressant. You have suggested he use not only the robaxin but also doxylamine (an antihistamine) and melatonin (a sleep aid). The dosage you recommend of doxylamine is double the recommended dose and the dosage of melatonin is two to three times the recommended dose.

Basically, you are combining three forms of sedation - which is going to (at the very least) cause serious drowsiness and mental confusion. Combining 3 forms of sedation - at above the recommended dosage - sounds a lot like addictive behavior to me. When we get into recovery, even abusing OTC drugs can be risky to us. I work with newly sober women, and see this kind of behavior all the time; wanting to take more than recommended of OTC meds. It can be a serious trigger for the emotional and psychological aspects of our disease, and should not be recommended. Besides, in recovery, we are trying to learn how to live our lives without popping a pill for any unpleasant feeling; that includes even the OTC meds.

Peter, you're starting to overstep your own limitations here, as you are not a doctor nor a pharmacist - nor have you personally experienced opiate withdrawal.

Sorry to digress this thread, ItalianStallion, but I wanted folks to know a bit more about these "recommendations," before they test them out themselves. Best wishes on "day 4" - my prayers are with you!

Ruth, Robaxin is VERY mild in it's CNS depressant effects as is Doxylamine. 50mg is an effective dose and Melatonin does not potentiate CNS depression by very much if at all. In the case of Melatonin, it is very difficult to overdose on it. Your brain uses what it needs and the rest is excreted. I did not just throw the list together, ad hoc.

I checked with my psychiatrist first about this combination. SHE agreed with me and said it would be a feasible plan to get someone to sleep going through oxy detox.

This combination, especially when taken by someone who is tolerant to painkillers, is safe. I made sure of that. To be sure I checked with a pharmacist and a doctor, first. I should have said that in the post.

Ruth, I have experienced opiate w/d several times and used this combo on myself. It eases the process.

IS04:
Welcome to the forum.
By now (probably day 5) I would not recommend using benzos.
I went ct from ~ 180 - 210 mg. of oxy a day for quite some time.

EVERYONE'S experience is similar and unique.
For my first 5 days, I used, Imodium, Advil, Valium, Restoril, and Clonidine (all at low doses - my GP prescribed and monitored me; called me or my wife at my home every day for 5 days/had a BP monitor at my home to ensure no stroke zone, etc.).

If I were you, I would read Ruth's (Artist) 2nd to last paragraph. I did NOT follow that advice and relapsed. I am 6+ months clean - I should be 1 year in July - it happened to me - it does NOT have to happen to you.

Stay strong - you got through the physical stuff. If you do not get a good, solid support group who cares about you - YOU, things can get very dicey when the urges to use come - and they do come. You need to pick up a phone or get to a meeting before you pick up again.

i wanna thank you all. im on day 8 atm. i still feel less than great, but day by day im starting to feel better, have more energy, and that naggin feeling that i need to get high is getting weaker and weaker. i found the biggest help is to just keep myself as busy as possible. i found when i was keeping myself busy my mind would block sort of block things out.

i wanna thank you all. im on day 8 atm. i still feel less than great, but day by day im starting to feel better, have more energy, and that naggin feeling that i need to get high is getting weaker and weaker. i found the biggest help is to just keep myself as busy as possible. i found when i was keeping myself busy my mind would block sort of block things out.

Good for you, buddy!
Keep moving forward.

Listen, you have only started to get off of opiates. Relapse happens to so many of us if we do not have a solid, drug-free, group of family and friends we can lean on - you cannot do this yourself.
I made that mistake, relapsed (12/09), and had to do it all over again - you do not have to make that same mistake.

Tapering doesn't work without a sponsor

I failed tapering off oxycodone over and over again in 2010. I had two total knee replacements and tried to taper off before my hysterectomy. I was almost refused my second knee replacement because I couldn't taper off. If you lie and go under anesthesia for a major surgery, you won't be able to be numbed or anesthetized like someone who is not on pain medicine.

I was kicked out by one doctor because he was "tapering" me, but trusted me with huge amounts to dispense to myself. When I ran out too soon because I didn't honor the taper, out I went. I found another doctor who dosed me happily for months until he lost his license for overprescribing pain meds. He actually got caught in tax evasion for pocketing the money, but it was all a game to him. I found a new doctor in October who agreed to taper me. "Fortunately," I had dental trouble, had a root canal and then tooth extraction, and three different dentists gave me more oxycodone ON TOP OF my "taper' doctor. Of course, I didn't tell any of these doctors about the multiple prescribing.

After my dental pain med supply ran out, I was STILL on my "taper", and instead of going down, I gradually had almost doubled my dose with the multiple prescriptions. Suddenly this week, I was OUT of drug, and NO doctor to give me more. So I am in a forced "cold turkey" situation. I was down to ten pills on Sunday, six on Monday, four on Tuesday, three on Wednesday, one on Thursday, and none yesterday.

So I am on day TWO of ZERO oxycodone. I feel like I have the flu. I can't concentrate on anything. My husband doesn't know about the multiple prescribers so thinks I tapered down til now and can't understand why I don't feel better.

I can't stay on this drug any more. I think it was making me sick and making me gain weight. I am up 40 pounds since my knee surgeries. I feel horrible. I really do think the oxy was making me sick, but I still wanted it.

When will I feel better. Does anyone know?

If anyone has done what I have, please share. I am ashamed of what I have done. I can't tell my husband or my doctor, who would just fire me. The doctor expects me back in a week and a half, when I was supposed to be proceeding on my "taper". Right now, I should have had enough drug to take each day to be "gently tapering". Look what I did to myself. Doubled my dose for two months. Then forced into a cold turkey situation like now. This sucks. And I'm all alone in it.

I failed tapering off oxycodone over and over again in 2010. I had two total knee replacements and tried to taper off before my hysterectomy. I was almost refused my second knee replacement because I couldn't taper off. If you lie and go under anesthesia for a major surgery, you won't be able to be numbed or anesthetized like someone who is not on pain medicine.

I was kicked out by one doctor because he was "tapering" me, but trusted me with huge amounts to dispense to myself. When I ran out too soon because I didn't honor the taper, out I went. I found another doctor who dosed me happily for months until he lost his license for overprescribing pain meds. He actually got caught in tax evasion for pocketing the money, but it was all a game to him. I found a new doctor in October who agreed to taper me. "Fortunately," I had dental trouble, had a root canal and then tooth extraction, and three different dentists gave me more oxycodone ON TOP OF my "taper' doctor. Of course, I didn't tell any of these doctors about the multiple prescribing.

After my dental pain med supply ran out, I was STILL on my "taper", and instead of going down, I gradually had almost doubled my dose with the multiple prescriptions. Suddenly this week, I was OUT of drug, and NO doctor to give me more. So I am in a forced "cold turkey" situation. I was down to ten pills on Sunday, six on Monday, four on Tuesday, three on Wednesday, one on Thursday, and none yesterday.

So I am on day TWO of ZERO oxycodone. I feel like I have the flu. I can't concentrate on anything. My husband doesn't know about the multiple prescribers so thinks I tapered down til now and can't understand why I don't feel better.

I can't stay on this drug any more. I think it was making me sick and making me gain weight. I am up 40 pounds since my knee surgeries. I feel horrible. I really do think the oxy was making me sick, but I still wanted it.

When will I feel better. Does anyone know?

If anyone has done what I have, please share. I am ashamed of what I have done. I can't tell my husband or my doctor, who would just fire me. The doctor expects me back in a week and a half, when I was supposed to be proceeding on my "taper". Right now, I should have had enough drug to take each day to be "gently tapering". Look what I did to myself. Doubled my dose for two months. Then forced into a cold turkey situation like now. This sucks. And I'm all alone in it.

HI
Oh my dear your being way to hard on yourself !! those pills are so addictive it just grabs a hold of you and does not want to let go... give it a couple more days and you will start to feel better.. and when you go back to your doctor you can just tell him your done with your taper you don't need any more pills... you can tell your husband you dumped you pills down the toilet and that your tired of the pills so that would explain why your not feeling well...
you'll get thru this...post to us and let us know how it is going..
talk to you soon, Melinda

Getting through today

Hi Melinda,

You have no idea how good it sounds for someone to hear me. I do feel so guilty, and I am being hard on myself because I don't ever want to go through this again. If I go back to my "tapering" doctor, I am not going to tell him what I did. By then -- which would be next week sometime if I reschedule my appointment -- I will have been off my oxycodone entirely for just one week, and I'm afraid I would accept another prescription for the continuation of my taper. That would probably be a prescription for another 42 oxycodone pills for a two week taper at three pills a day, which is what I'm supposed to be on right now. I was supposed to be on three a day until January, then down to two, and then one, etc.

I think the right thing to do is to STAY STOPPED right now, no matter how much I want those pills next week. My husband thinks I was SUPPOSED to be on my last day of what I told him was two pills a day until Monday this week -- he thinks I've been tapering all this time, just like my doctor. My husband does not know the dentists were giving me more pain medicine. I have been living a huge lie.

I am so shocked at my addictive behavior. Different prescribers who don't know about each other is pretty classic I think. I am truly shocked at myself.

I think I can do this now. Now that I am winding down to the end of day TWO without oxycodone in my blood, and I am not dead from seizures since what I really did was cold turkey down from TEN A DAY TO ZERO IN 4 days, I think I'm doing pretty well.

The reason I sent in my original post was two-fold: first, I wanted to hear someone encourage me that I will be okay and really will start to feel better soon. Second, though, was that I wanted to WARN ANYONE WHO THINKS THEY CAN TAPER BY THEMSELVES that they should not try to do it. I think to be successful at that, someone else has to hold your pills who is not interested in keeping you addicted. DON'T TRY IT ALONE. All these doctors who think they have been helping me have really been hurting me by keeping me addicted. I SWORE I would not use that word! My doctors have all told me that I am not, but I think my behavior speaks otherwise.

Thank you for listening, and if I can help anyone else by sharing my experiences, I will surely do so.

Dear (?), don't want to call you failed. Because in all reality you are going to succeed. I have tried to taper before this year and failed. I have also attempted cold turkey at least three times and failed. Talking about it helps. This time my doctor has initiated the taper and my husband has the pills. I am the only one who wants off of them though, and that makes it obviously very easy for me to give up and use the amounts I have been. However, I am not giving up, am sticking to the taper, am not asking for my pills back from my husband, and just taking it hour to hour. There is so much valuable information on these forums from those who have conquered and come out the other side. You are doing awesome, and your posts are so positive. Thank you so much for sharing and for the honesty. It has helped me this morning to stay strong. Do I understand that your doctor has you tapering at a dose for two weeks? Just wanted to know because mine has me dropping a pill a day after one week. I didn't think I would feel it but I do. At first I thought that is too long based on how Robert 325 tapers those on subs. He suggests that after you are stable you drop 25%. I am rooting for you and saying a prayer for you also. Please post and let us know how you are doing. Your journey will help so many people including me. We will for sure have to change that screen name though. Love, Marta